Services

As many of you know I have reduced my clinic schedule in recent years: this in spite of an ever increasing number of those who are seeking the true way to classical dressage. In an ongoing effort to reach as many of these willing students as possible, I am now offering selective video training for the first time. Even if my closest scheduled clinic is thousands of miles away, I am available to assist you with specific problems, no matter if you’re an amateur, professional, or an active competitor. Whether you are struggling with a particular movement, working on a certain test or simply need my professional opinion, I am dedicated to providing you with the same personalized attention I give to my regular clinic attendees.

I will review your 10-12 minute riding video and return a personalized evaluation along with additional recommended reading and suggested relevant exercises available for purchase on my web site. My availability varies, but typically, I will return your critique within 2 weeks.

The cost for my evaluation of your riding video is$125.00.(Please pay in advance through this web site before submitting any video links to me.)Please note: this fee is non-refundable. However, if a video of poor quality is submitted it will not be reviewed and money will be refunded.

How to Submit Your Riding Video for Evaluation

It’s easy. Simply upload a 10-12 minute video to YouTube, copy and paste the YouTube URL into a message through the contact page and include a short description if you have a specific issue you would like me to address.

Please be brief in your description; one paragraph or less plus observing your riding video will provide me with enough information to offer my assessment. Because of the volume of requests I receive, I am unable to read long descriptions of your riding history or your horse’s training history. I can only comment on what I see on your video.

I will review your video and return a critique along with additional recommended reading and suggested exercises. Video training students are encouraged to submit follow-up progress videos.

How to Upload Your Video to YouTube

Your video must be smaller than 2GB in size, in an acceptable file format, and less than 15 minutes in duration.

After your video is successfully uploaded, scroll down to the “Broadcasting and Sharing Options”. In the “Privacy” area, click on “Unlisted”; this will keep your video out of search results so that the only people that can see it are the ones that have its exact URL. YouTube will then provide the URL to copy and paste into an email so it can be shared with others. Scroll down to the bottom of that page and click on “Save Changes.”

Important!
If you do not save changes, your video will not save on YouTube.

Click the video below to view a brief sample video.

Filming Your Video

Remember the most important part of the lesson is the quality of the video submission received.

To make a video, you need to have a device that can record movies in a digital format, such as a digital camcorder, digital camera, or a cell phone. Transfer the video files from your device to your computer and then either upload them to YouTube as-is or edit them with software such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.

Following are a few suggestions to assure the success of your film:

1) If Possible, Use a Tripod
Handheld filming increases the likelihood of substandard submissions.

2) Location
Be careful to choose a filming location that has a minimum of background interference.

3) Pay Attention to Lighting
Predetermine your filming location and adjust for indoor or outdoor lighting conditions. Carefully selecting the time of day and weather when filming out of doors is key. Time permitting, a dry run is always suggested.

4) Wear Proper Riding Attire
Attire should be the same as you would wear should you be taking a riding lesson. Light colored breeches with riding boots and light colored gloves are suggested. White or light colored leg wraps for your horse enable better evaluation of your horse’s movement.

5) Preplan Your Ride
Before you film, list on paper the objectives for your submission prioritizing problems and training issues. Select ONE issue or problem per training video. Concerns should be submitted as a text message along with your video. If you’re submitting a new video as a follow-up to a previous lesson, express continuing concerns and areas of improvement since you last submission.

6) Don’t Talk During Your Ride

7) Film Continuously
Don’t stop and start your video.

8) Videos of Poor Quality
If a video of poor quality is submitted it will not be reviewed and money will be refunded.

9) Enjoy Your Ride!

Classical Equestrian Training from a Former Chief Rider of the Spanish Riding School